Her First Name
by thely
Summary: AU. She couldn't help but feel triumphant as she and the rest of the gym class watched Sasuke head to the nurse's office, holding his nose and the rest of his dignity, while Hinata called apology after apology at his retreating figure.
1. Chapter 1

Her First Name

Chapter One: She Loves Him, She Loves Him Not

-

Sakura couldn't help it. She couldn't help but feel triumphant as she and the rest of the gym class watched Sasuke head to the nurse's office, holding his nose and the rest of his dignity, while Hinata called apology after apology at his retreating figure. She didn't laugh but allowed herself a smile of malice. She reminded herself to congratulate Hinata. Despite not scoring the winning goal, Hinata had finally made contact with a soccer ball using her feet instead of her nose. Oh, and Sasuke getting his face bashed in was just a bonus.

To say that Sakura hated Sasuke would be an understatement. But it didn't used to be that way. She used to be like every other girl who'd ever crossed paths with this handsome, onyx-eyed boy. (Except Hinata, and this has been a popular debate of interest among her friends and non-friends alike.) Sakura used to think that she might be the one to finally get through.

-

It started in the third grade, when he first transferred to a public school. He had hair like raven feathers and eyes blacker than the dark. And when he passed her desk on the way to his seat, she found out that he smelled like peppermint. Sakura loved peppermint.

The only problem was he was just so darn shy! Why didn't he talk to her? _She_ wasn't going to talk to _him_. That would be admitting to the whole third grade class that she liked him—_like_-liked him—and she wasn't like those _other_ girls who crowded around his desk and followed him around the playground _pining_. Besides, if he really liked her—_like_-liked her—he would say "Hi," to her first. Because that's how things worked in the third grade. So Sakura was contented to wait.

But he did not say "Hi," to her in the third grade.

Or the fourth grade.

Or the fifth grade.

Or the sixth grade.

The waiting finally got to her. Waiting was painful. It was excruciating. Waiting was _excruciatingly painful_. And at the end of sixth grade she resolved to let him know just how painful it was.

It was the day before the end of the third term, the last day of elementary school. Sakura knew she had to do it now because there was a chance she might not have classes with him next year. And maybe all the eighth and ninth grade girls might want a piece of him. Or maybe a cute new girl might transfer to her junior high school next year. Or maybe he'd die over spring break. Maybe _she'd_ die?

In any case, she needed to do it now. She wouldn't have been in the same class as him for three years in a row if it didn't mean _something_, right? She had been the _only_ girl to have classes with him _three years in a row_! And she believed that it counted for something!

As Sakura waited at the gate that afternoon, she toyed with the long, pink hair she'd grown out for him. The letter in her hand seemed to melt and sit between her fingers and stain them with ink. Clenching and unclenching her fist, she _hoped_ something wonderful would happen. If something happened—something along the lines of Sasuke holding her in his arms, lips to her forehead, and his smell on her skin—then none of those upperclassmen girls, or new transfer students, or even death would matter. The only thing that mattered was if something happened.

Sakura wanted him to be surprised when he saw her, but there was no hope of that when she could see the indent of the shoes left by all the other girls who had stood in her place waiting for him after school with the same high expectations, the same letters and ink-stained fingers.

No.

She was _different_, because she had luck on her side.

When she heard the teacher bid him goodbye and the school door slide shut, she closed her eyes and counted the steps he took to the gate. And kept counting when he walked right past her.

She cracked an eye open. "S-Sasuke-kun!" It came out less composed than she liked.

Sakura didn't remember exactly what she had said. She worried she might not be able to say all she wanted to before handing him the letter, but, fortunately, she was cut off. She remembered that he took the letter from her fingers and tossed it into the street. And he simply said, "You're annoying," before he left her standing in the shoe indents of all the other girls whose letters had landed in the gutter.

Sakura was ashamed to admit it, but she was a stupid and silly girl, and stupid, silly girls always cried. Especially after having three years of infatuation come to naught in two words. Fortunately, Sakura had a strong will and was determined not to be affected. Even though her sleepless nights and red, puffy eyes in the morning argued otherwise.

Two nights later, Sakura had a small revelation as long pieces of hair fell to her feet like so many broken wishes: she looked better with it short.

-

"Don't look so discouraged, Hinata. I'm sure the ball would've gone in if Sasuke's face hadn't been in the way," Sakura beamed as she clapped her friend's back enthusiastically. She, Hinata, and Ino were in the locker room, changing into their school uniforms after Phy. Ed was dismissed early that day.

"Sakura, I'm not upset about not making the goal," Hinata sighed heavily, as she knew the hate Sakura harbored against said goal-stopper.

"Don't act so obvious, Sakura," Ino declared as she switched her sports bra for the lacy lavender one she wore for luck on prospective dates. "We all know that you wanted to be the one to shoot that soccer ball into Sasuke-kun's statuesque face. Admit it."

Sakura frowned as she pulled on her shirt. "That Sasuke has a statuesque face? I don't know about that. However, I will not deny that a chance to muss up Sasuke's face was taken from me," She grinned good-naturedly as Hinata flushed. "But the look of his face afterward made up for it."

Just then, Mitarashi-sensei came by and slapped Hinata on the back so hard that the young girl squeaked. The woman gave her a toothy grin and congratulated her on the kick. As soon as their gym teacher left, the three girls burst out laughing.

-

One week, eight hours, twenty-four minutes, one love letter earlier and she might've rejoiced in the fact that Sasuke shared her homeroom. Wasn't _she_ lucky to have classes with him _four_ years in a row? Sakura decided to make the best of it and resolved to make her displeasure known that first day. She was embarrassed, angry, and heartbroken. And the fact that he didn't know only made things worse.

But it was hard to hate someone and do hateful things to them when they didn't know you existed, or cared that you existed. And even harder when you still carried a _very _small torch for the person who didn't know or cared that you existed.

Sakura tried to make Sasuke miserable by not giving him worksheets, purposely not accepting any worksheets he handed to her, "accidentally" kicking his pencil when he dropped it by her desk, deliberately not passing him the ball in gym class, sticking her gum under his desk when he wasn't looking, out-answering him at every question the teacher asked, and giving him the nastiest looks she could possibly give a boy who broke her heart. Everything short of killing him…

But nothing seemed to faze him and that irked her.

After the first two weeks she was just too tired to try anymore. Instead, she entertained many evil plots of revenge in her head, enjoyed anything exceedingly unlucky that happened to him during the school day, and tried very hard to ignore him when he was not being a jerk or smote upon.

-

Sasuke returned during free period. His nose cleaned and, to the chagrin of Sakura, unbroken. There was no indication that his face had even been touched. _If I had kicked the ball…_ Sakura thought, her mind suddenly filled with the image of Sasuke being rushed to the emergency room with his head wrapped in guaze.

When he came to the row of desks in which he shared with Sakura, he looked up suddenly. Their eyes met for just a moment and Sakura felt something like burning wings flare up inside her, a feeling she wished would not happen fifty-percent of the time. But that feeling was purged out of her skin by the darkening of his eyes before he turned away and took his seat two desks in front of her.

_What was _that_ for?_ Sakura glared as she chewed her pen, a mechanism she used to distract herself from the fact that she had blushed. _Jerk._

She frowned and closed her eyes, as if deciding something. Four more feet and she might be able to pierce his jugular.

-

Dear Reader,

_Her First Name_ is a multi-chapter story, but this first chapter kinda came out like a one-shot. (Well, it did for me.) Anyway, I hope you guys liked it, and I hope that I will continue to like it as well and not leave it half-done. I want at least twenty chapters! (But I make no promises!) Constructive criticism is most appreciative. Thanks for reading.

Sincerely, Thely


	2. Chapter 2

Her First Name

Chapter Two: Name Pending

-

Hinata's friends once asked her what she saw in Uzumaki Naruto. The blonde boy was loud, impulsive, and emotional. He had been getting into fights since the third grade and was as hardheaded as an oyster. He was rude to the teachers most of the time, slightly annoying some of the time, and all the other times he was just being…Naruto. He was the exact opposite of the Hyuuga girl. And no one could pin down what attracted her to him so much.

After being asked multiple times by multiple people and successfully dodging all their attempts, Hinata was finally cornered after school by them all on Friday.

"Why do you like him?" They chorused.

She merely smiled and replied, "Because he makes me feel like I can fly."

-

"Sakura," Naruto called across the classroom. "Can I copy your notes from Chemistry?"

She gave him suspicious look. "Why?"

He pressed his hands together in a pleading manner and grinned innocently. "Because you love me so much that—"

"No."

Naruto looked deflated.

Sakura nudged Hinata's side with her elbow.

"N-Naruto-kun." Hinata said holding up her notebook.

He glanced at her. Hinata squeaked and held the notebook to hide her face. She was afraid of dying from embarrassment. Sakura was afraid the notebook might catch fire. Naruto was afraid of getting the look of horror from Yamato-sensei if he didn't get those notes finished.

"Y-you can borrow m-my notes." Hinata managed to say.

"Are you serious?" Naruto exclaimed.

Hinata peeked over the edge of her notebook shyly. "U-uh-huh…" she mumbled.

He plucked the notebook from her hands, punched her arm playfully, and said, "You. Are. Awesome."

Hinata went boneless when he winked at her. He left happily humming, leaving Sakura to clean up the pile of love-struck mush Hinata had now become.

Apparently, Naruto also made Hinata feel like jelly.

-

"Are you okay?"

Hinata looked up to see a blonde-haired boy she knew as Uzumaki Naruto from Class 4-B. His lip was split, there was a long gash that opened his right cheek, and his left eye was swelled shut. She could see his legs shaking as he stood before her, knees cut and bloodied. Hinata wasn't sure she looked any better.

The two ten-year-olds stood on top of a hill that led into the river: Naruto, inspecting his bruises and newly formed scabs; Hinata, holding her red backpack to her chest as if it were a dying pet she had loved very much.

The red fabric had shoe imprints on it, and pebbles had been lodged here and there. One of the straps had been torn off. She opened up her pack and inspected the damage. Her favorite Hello Bunny pen had been broken, staining everything inside dark blue. She was afraid she might cry.

Naruto was afraid of this too and quickly assured her he would get her a new bag as he flapped his arms anxiously. He tried to brush off the dirt and rub out the footprints, but he only made their faces muddy.

"Just don't cry," he pleaded.

-

"Sakura!"

"_What_?" Sakura growled.

She, Ino, and Hinata (well, mostly just her and Ino with Hinata acting as mediator) were having a very important, very heated discussion about which member from the newest J-Pop boy band was the hottest, the cutest, the best-dressed, etc., when Naruto appeared behind them with a sheepish look on his face.

Sakura was wondering why he was always picking the worst times to start up a conversation while Ino wondered why Sakura didn't just admit that her favorite band member looked a lot like Sasuke, and Hinata wondered why Naruto never started up conversations with her.

"Will you—"

"No."

"I'm not asking you out." Naruto pointed out with a frown. Even though Naruto's monster crush on her had long since dissipated, he could not live with himself if he didn't go on a date with Sakura just once. So he asked her from time to time, trying to catch her off her guard. But this was not one of those times.

"Then, what do you want?" She asked, swinging her arm over the back of the chair so that she could look Naruto full in the face.

"I want you to tutor me."

-

Without words, she had assured him it was not the bag. She didn't want him to see her cry about a beaten backpack.

Naruto frowned and thought for a moment. "Are you worried your parents will be mad at you if they find out you got into a fight?" He asked.

Hinata paused and nodded slightly. She forgot about explaining this mess to her parents, to her father. Her eyes became misty and she sniffed. There was no way he'd let her sleepover at Ino's house now.

"W-wait! Don't cry! Please," Naruto ran over to her and grabbed her face. He began to wipe away the tears. "You weren't getting into a fight," he began reassuringly. "You were just protecting someone—" then he added hastily—"But it's not like that someone needed protecting because he could've handled it on his own."

Hinata turned away, embarrassed. Her tears and snot were streaked across her face from his wiping. She rubbed her sleeve over her face, but she felt she had only made things worse. With her back turned, she began to dig through her backpack so she would not have to look at this blue-eyed boy with her dirty face and red-rimmed eyes.

An awkward moment passed as Naruto mentally kicked himself and Hinata silently wished she were somewhere else.

Naruto rubbed his arm. His father had told him about these kinds of situations, when a man had to do what was right even if it went against his pride. He swallowed and said, "But you can tell your parents that he was really glad you came along."

-

"No."

"But—"

"I don't have time, Naruto. My manager put me on the night shift. I won't be able to keep you afloat without drowning myself! Any other time would be fine, but not this month."

"But, I need to get my grades up before mid-term or else Granny Tsunade will kill me! And then, dance over my grave!" Naruto exclaimed, arms in the air and eyes wide. He could fight off entire gangs, break a leg here, sprain a wrist there, end up in the ICU for a night and be on time for school in the morning, but he could not face the principal with anything less than a B average grade. Hinata could see how scared he was.

"I can tutor you."

The three others stared at her. Sakura and Ino were surprised she'd offered such a thing without stuttering. Hinata was surprised she had said it at all.

-

She had found a Band-Aid.

It was slightly wrinkled but it was clean. Hinata smiled widely at her discovery, but mostly at this blue-eyed boy who was staring into the river, his mouth screwed up in a pout, like he had not just admitted that he was glad he got help in a fight from a girl.

Looking at his face outlined in golden light, she figured that he would be kind of cute if he weren't cut up so much. She spied the gash like another mouth on his face, the blood slowly trickling down his cheek. Hinata wondered if it hurt. She peeled the Band-Aid and clumsily lunged at Naruto with it in hand before he could protest and before she chickened out.

"Ow, ow, ow!" He yelped helplessly, arms flailing. He resisted pushing the girl away, because it wouldn't have been nice and probably go against everything his dad had ever taught him.

After Hinata removed her small hands, she smiled awkwardly at her disheveled patch-up job. Naruto looked over at her, slightly teary, and felt the Band-Aid with his dirty fingers. It was barely covering half of the cut on his face and he knew that if he peeled it off now, it would offend the girl.

And, it would hurt a lot.

He pouted even more at her, but Hinata was too happy to care if she had hurt his pride. She just kept smiling. Her unprecedented grin caused Naruto to arch an eyebrow. This girl was just too weird.

She had burst out of a nearby bush. Her hair was tangled with leaves and her knees dirty from kneeling. She stood with her arms held out to shield a very dizzy and already very bruised Naruto. She told the sixth grade boys to back off in a voice that betrayed how scared she really was. And when they laughed at her and sneered at how Naruto was so weak that he needed his _girlfriend_ protecting him, she pounced, using martial arts moves like in the movies.

By then, of course, Naruto was back on his feet and punching the teeth out of the boy who had called the girl his girlfriend. Because Naruto was a boy in the fourth grade and he couldn't let such a comment go unpunished.

-

To make sure they had all heard her correctly, including herself, Hinata repeated. "I-I c-c-can tutor y-you, Naruto-k-kun."

Well, that came out nicely.

"Are you sure?" Naruto sounded worried because Hinata's face was beginning to flare up again. He was starting to assume she got sick whenever he was near (which was half right), and he wondered if he'd done something to cause this (which was also partially true). "I don't want to, uh, trouble you or anything."

"Oh, but you can trouble _me_?" Sakura crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well, troubling you is easier on my conscience." Naruto defended nonchalantly. He turned to Hinata. "Seriously, though. You really want to tutor me?"

Hinata felt she had spent all of her energy on getting out that one sentence twice, so she could not say the words she so desperately needed to now.

"Hinata says, 'Yes, Naruto,'" Ino replied with a wink. "'I really, really want to tutor you. And if you don't accept, then I will be very offended.'"

"And that won't be easy on your conscience, will it, Naruto?" Sakura replied with a smirk.

Naruto shrugged. "I guess not," he greeted Hinata with a smile. "I guess I'll see you after school then?" And with that, Naruto once again left before witnessing Hinata melt in her chair.

-

Ultimately, the ten-year-old duo lost. For extra measure, the older boys pummeled her red backpack to the ground and cut Naruto's face with a piece of loosened asphalt before running away, slapping each other on the backs and roaring with laughter. They left the two clutching at their stomachs, stinging and defeated.

But now, she was smiling as if her beautiful red backpack had never been touched, as if her cheek was not throbbing and blue, as if she'd won—as if they'd won. And after considering all of this, Naruto guessed that he didn't mind getting beat up, or being helped by a girl, or having the Band-Aid hurt more than it helped. He grinned back despite the pain on the inside of his cheek.

"Well…thanks," He said. His face was hot, and he told himself that he was _not_ blushing but that infection was starting to settle in and that's why his head spun as he stared at this girl with the bruises that made her pretty.

She only nodded back, shouldered her backpack by the one good strap left, and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Naruto cried. He felt if she left without anything to atone for her sacrificed backpack and pen, it would mean he was ungrateful. His mother had told him to never be ungrateful to anyone who ever gave him help, especially if he hadn't wanted it in the first place. And he was not ungrateful to this girl.

The girl turned to face him; patiently waiting for whatever it was he stopped her for. Naruto dug his pockets for something. He found three fingers wiggling back at him. Naruto looked slightly depressed. He couldn't give her a hole in his pocket!

With newfound vigor, he ran over to the riverbank and scanned the area, telling the girl to "Hold on a minute," because he was on the verge of discovering a treasure. His interest was perked and he hopped excitedly near the bridge. Naruto spotted a jagged rock half buried in the mud. When he pulled it out, he washed it in the shallows and dried it with his shirt. His face brightened as he realized what it was.

Naruto ran up to the girl, clutching the stone with both hands like a small bird. "Here," he carefully placed it in her hands and beamed, "I've never seen a rock like it. I think you should have it."

The rock had a craggy exterior of gray and white, but the inside, the half that had been covered with the mud that was now on Naruto's shirt, was glittering with amethyst. Hinata ran her small finger over the purple crystals that lined the rock's walls and giggled.

"It reminds me of you," Naruto said, proud he'd found such a wonderful gift. "It's kind of weird looking on the outside, but it's really cool on the inside."

Hinata stared. It was such a silly remark, but at the same time, was so unbearably sweet, she couldn't help but laugh.

Naruto was taken by surprise. He wasn't expecting her to have such a loud laugh. She sounded like she'd never laughed before, as if every happy moment in her life accumulated to this one bit of laughter; and that this was the only moment she might ever be able to laugh again. This made him even more proud of himself and he laughed along. The two ten-year-olds laughed and laughed until they cried, until they had to gasp for air.

After relearning to breathe, they looked at each other and knew it was time to go home. Hinata waved goodbye to the blonde boy and to the laughter they would have to leave behind. She ran into the retreating afternoon without looking back. And Naruto could've sworn he almost saw her take off and fly away.

About two turns and four blocks later, Naruto realized he'd forgotten to ask for her name.

-

Dear Readers,

I'm really happy about getting some reviews on the first chapter already. Thanks so much. Even though this story is under the characters Sasuke and Sakura, there will be multiple couples thrown in here and there. There will be some OCs mixed in as well, but they will only have a minor role or be part of some side story.

Anyway, I hope you guys liked this chapter. (Because I really do.) Constructive criticism is always a great help. Thanks for reading.

Sincerely, Thely


	3. Chapter 3

Her First Name

Chapter Three: Rain, Rain, Go Away!

-

_It was the monsoon's fault_, Sakura concluded.

Her eyebrows were knotted together in frustration and the corners of her mouth almost reached her chin, she was frowning so hard. Her fingers cramped terribly as she clenched the blue shirt. It smelled like the fabric softener she used at home.

Home!

Sakura took her free hand and slapped herself on the forehead with the heel of her palm. "Why did mom and dad take a vacation _this_ week?" She hissed. "Of all weeks!"

Sakura then remembered the picture her parents had sent her through e-mail last night. Their faces were tan and smiling, red and orange flowers were draped over their shoulders, and a ukulele was grasped in her father's right hand while his left one rested on her mother's hip. They stood shaded under a palm tree with a cloudless, blue sky opened above them. Taking one look at that, Sakura sent a reply encouraging them to stay as long as they were allowed.

But the excitement she felt having the house all to herself for a whole week was quickly nullified by the fact that she was _here_, sitting in this bathroom with _no_ _clothes_ on and with no way to get home. And it was the monsoon's fault!

Sakura sighed miserably.

It was that stupid egg's fault too.

-

"Can't _you_ be Naruto's partner?" Ino pleaded with Hinata during lunch period.

They were lounging on the stairs, eating their _bento_ and finding a way around homework. The trio normally ate on the roof with all of the other girls but it was just too humid out. The sky was heavy with great, bulbous clouds; the air was thick with damp heat, and even the breezes were warm. Forecasters had threatened viewers with non-stop rain and flooding for days, but it had been dry (more or less) for a whole week and a half. Monsoon season was taunting the city, and she was unforgiving.

"I can't," Hinata replied sympathetically. "Kurenai-sensei assigned the partners herself. She must have a perfectly good reason why she put the two of you together." Secretly, she was wondering if their Home Economics teacher would reconsider.

"But you're already tutoring him! You see him for two more hours after school is over, it'll be easier on you, _and_ on me, if we just switch partners," the blonde reasoned. She did not want to be Naruto's partner because she was afraid he might break the egg, or lose it, or eat it for breakfast. Ino hated Home Economics with a passion, but her parents would work her to dust if she failed any classes. She would be dangerously close to becoming a pile of ashes if she bombed this assignment.

Sakura watched as her two friends debated over the "Egg-child Project" the class had been given for the week. She wondered why Ino was making such a _big_ _deal_ out of being partners with Naruto. It was better than being partners with Shikamaru or Chouji, they'd be the ones most likely to lose the egg or eat it, respectively. Although Sakura would gladly trade partners with Ino, she knew that Kurenai-sensei would not allow them to and would probably fail them if they traded partners in secret. Her word was absolute in the classroom. So, instead of trying to stop something from happening—something _dreadful_ from happening—she quietly shoved last night's leftovers neatly into her mouth.

"Please, please, please, please, please, _please_! Everyone knows you're sensei's favorite!" Ino clasped her hands together and pouted.

"Th-that's not true," Hinata flushed and retorted, "You just want to be partners with _Sai_-kun!"

"But, _as you already know_, that's not the only reason. And, it's not like you enjoy Sai's company as much as I do anyway!"

"INO!"

Hinata and Ino turned to stare at their very cranky, red-faced friend.

"Just Suck It Up."

Sakura would not hear of anyone complaining about how the Japanese government put too much emphasis on family life, how a dumb egg could possibly be considered effective birth control, or how his or her partner was this boy or that girl. _None_ of them had to work with Uchiha Sasuke, because _she_ was his partner. And, _she_ would be the only one allowed to complain about governments, and eggs, and the teacher's bad decisions. That was that.

Normally, Ino would accuse Sakura of being too dramatic and Hinata would tell her to look on the bright side of things. But all things considered, it was not a normal day, so her two friends silently backed away instead and let her blow up in a quiet corner of the school.

-

The school day had ended. Students were either packing up their books or filing out of the classrooms, and some of the boys and girls from Class 1-A were peering out the window at the foreboding black clouds rumbling in the southeast.

"That storm's moving fast," one boy observed.

"Ugh, I hope my train's not late again," another groaned.

A girl flirtingly asked her boyfriend, "Should I just go home with you—"

"Haruno."

Sakura looked up to see unflappable Sasuke staring down at her as she shoved her Chemistry book in her book bag. _Not even a "hi"?_

"Yes, Sasuke…kun." She forced the honorific.

"You should take him first."

The sixteen-year-old boy placed the small box the students had been given for their project on Sakura's desk. It looked like one of the boxes pet rocks had come in during the 80s. There were holes for air, even cardboard bars. It looked like a cage.

She peered inside and saw nestled on a bed of confetti grass a perfect, white oval with a scraggly face drawn on with marker. The egg had a messy mop of black hair scribbled onto the dome, one red mouth curved upward, and two large, sea green eyes. Sakura turned to glare at Naruto whom was conveniently looking away. _No way you'll ever find _my_ green eyes on an Uchiha_, she thought defiantly.

She turned back to Sasuke. "Him?"

"Yes." And then he gave her an absurd look as if saying, "Of course it's a boy. There's no such thing as _girl_ Uchiha's."

Sakura fought the urge to put a dent in his face where the imprint of a soccer ball should've been. She held her nose a little higher in the air. "Fine, but I get to choose the name." She said very diplomatically.

She translated his silence as uncontested compliance and immediately decided on, "Katsuo."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow slightly and he looked as if he were actually considering it. "Fine," he replied. "Katsuo."

And that's how their little family began. But, Sakura wanted to make clear: she was _not_ an Uchiha.

-

It was pouring down faster than she could run. The rain felt like cold bullets on her skin as she tried to find some sort of shelter. Sakura silently cursed herself for being such a glutton. If she hadn't stopped to buy those marmalade cookies, she wouldn't be running through these godforsaken back streets trying to find her house in this downpour. _Just _had_ to take a shortcut!_

She soon realized that she did not recognize this area and figured she'd taken a wrong turn. Every house she saw; every telephone pole she passed; every corner she rounded, all were scarily identical. She was trapped in a maze of cement and wire. _Damn all these cookie-cutter houses!_

"Don't worry, Katsuo," she said comfortingly, holding her book bag a little closer to her chest. It was _her_ child after all and if Sasuke wasn't going to love it—him—then she would. "Mommy's not that great with directions, but she's always been lucky!"

Sakura hoped that there was a vending machine around here with a tarp over it. They were scattered all over the neighborhoods, along with cigarette dispensers and gumball machines. The vending snacks were too bland, the gumballs were horrible, and she'd never tried to get cigarettes, but Sakura had never wanted to see those three machines so badly until now. When she turned the corner, she spotted such an area and almost threw herself into its shelter.

She did not see the boy wringing out his shirt until her face slammed into his back.

She heard a grunt as she fell to the ground. With her free hand, she rubbed her nose and felt to make sure it had not gone into her face. _Ow! What the heck… _Sakura winced at the blunt pain in her behind.

"Haruno?"

That was the second time she'd heard him say her name (sort of). Two times in one day was two more times than in one year. She almost felt proud. Sakura looked up and saw Sasuke, bare-chested, holding his shirt in one hand as it dripped onto the cement. His black hair was matted to his head and looked more like seaweed now than feathers. Water that resembled small, clear pebbles clung to his face and body, sometimes joining together and sliding down to outline his...

He was shirtless.

"Sas-gay!?" She didn't mean for it to come out like that, she was still holding her nose.

-

Dear Reader,

Haha! I'm such an idiot and a genius that I must tell you why this is so.

The night I published the second chapter, I realized that I hadn't come up with a name for it. The title for Chapter Two was not supposed to be "Name Pending." That was meant as a place-holder until I came up with something more clever (:P). But I forgot, and when I uploaded the chapter, "Name Pending" was still there. Funny thing is, the place-holder worked out perfectly for the second chapter. Isn't that awesome? I'm such a genius, and I didn't even know it. (:D)

Anyway, thanks for reviewing and also favoriting. It means a lot. I hope this chapter will sustain until I update again. If there's anything that I'm doing wrong (or right) that you think I should be aware of, let me know. Thanks again!

Sincerely, Thely

P.S. The egg is homage to Ever. Be. The. Dramatical.'s _Not Hand in Hand_, where they are always referencing the beautiful, dark-haired babies with green eyes.

If you do not know, _bento_ is the Japanese equivalent of a fancy lunch box. Go find it on Wikipedia or something.

(So sorry about that username that didn't show up. FF was formatting my chapter all weird after I re-uploaded it, so I put spaces in the name.)


	4. Chapter 4

Her First Name

Chapter Four: Guilty

-

Sakura knew she looked like a sopping idiot, pinching her nose and sitting in a shallow puddle. But if she removed her hand, he would see how red her face was, and her pride would not allow that.

Sasuke stared at her for a minute. Like, _at_ her. He was not looking through her like he normally did, but his eyes were actually recognizing that there was a solid human being present. She could not read his eyes, but could see through his dripping bangs an eyebrow twitch slightly. She figured that was about as surprised as he would ever look.

He made a small, embarrassed sound in his throat before turning away to unfurl his wet and wrinkled shirt. If Sakura had paid closer attention to his face instead of noticing how toned his stomach was, she would've seen a faint pink blush spread across his cheeks.

The sudden motion of Sasuke's turn caused Sakura to realize how cold the cement was on her soggy butt and she clumsily scrambled to her feet. She trembled from the coolness of her wet clothes and from the spray caused by raindrops breaking on the ground. She suddenly wished for the sweater she'd decided to leave at home because it was just too hot that morning. She did not realize she'd be wishing she'd done many other things different later on.

Pressing a damp hand to her face, Sakura smoothed back the stray hairs that dripped and clung to her cheeks. Relief washed over her as she realized her face was not hot anymore. Sneaking a peek at Sasuke, she could see him stretch his arms into the sleeves. The shirt was still largely wet and stuck to his back as he buttoned it up. Sakura saw him run a hand through his seaweed-hair, pushing up his bangs and straining the water from the strands.

She snapped her gaze forward at the slight inclination of his head. She didn't want him to catch her watching. She didn't want herself watching anyway. Sakura instead turned her attention to the droplets of water as they collected on the edge of the tarp before becoming too heavy and plummeting to the asphalt. She held her book bag tightly, the skin on her knuckles taut on the bone. And as she clutched, she remembered.

_Katsuo!_

There was a sharp intake of breath. Sakura hastily unzipped her book bag and saw, among slightly sodden papers and dampish books, the cardboard cage. It was a little bit squashed and she feared for the worst. Sakura reached in and pulled out the pathetic thing, inspecting it for any leaks of yoke-consistent fluids. She could see Katsuo's green eyes and red mouth through the air holes. He seemed fully intact. Sakura breathed a sigh of relief.

_Good Katsuo_, she said mentally. _You take after me; I have a hard head too._

She smiled to herself and placed the box carefully inside her bag again, knowing full well that eyes were upon her. Her face colored, but she resisted stiffening and tried to think of warm, dry places where there were no such things as Sasuke's.

-

Sakura was certain that ten minutes had passed. Ten very _long_ minutes of shuffling, shivering, and listening to the rain. The sound of it engulfed them, and, it seemed, the whole world. The storm would not be ending any time soon, and Sakura dreaded the thought of having to stand here under a miserable tarp with Sasuke, awkward silence personified.

They had not spoken to each other, not even to apologize for almost killing their egg-child or being caught in a rather pride-crushing moment. Sakura thought if she said sorry, he'd probably reply with some offhand grunt and all would be forgotten. _Yes, forgotten_, she reassured.

She opened her mouth to say something, but a faint, low rumbling from above smothered her small squeak. There was a pause as she waited for the thunder to subside. Sakura tried again only to have Sasuke say, "The rain's not going to let up."

He turned to her, and she shut her mouth so as not to look like a fish out of water. _Thank you, Sasuke, for pointing that out,_ she thought grudgingly, slightly annoyed he had just interrupted her when she was about to apologize.

"I'm not going to wait here any longer. My house isn't too far from here," He looked at her and said, "We'll be drenched, but at least we'll be some place dry afterward."

Thirty-four words (including repeats) he had spoken to her just now. _Thirty-four!_ More than she initially estimated was in his disposable vocabulary. The faintest of smiles crept on her lips, and she pushed it back.

Sasuke grabbed his book bag and put it over his head (which Sakura thought made him look slightly ridiculous) and walked into the rain. He was drenched in a matter of seconds. Back to seaweed.

When he realized that she wasn't following, he turned around and gave her another absurd look that said, "What the heck are you still doing under there? Let's _go_."

"Oh."

Sakura followed without using her bag as a makeshift umbrella, because Katsuo might catch a cold. Sasuke stared at her and, without a word, switched the two bags. She was stunned, staring at Sasuke standing in the rain, her book bag held firmly in his pale arms.

"Come on, then."

His book bag didn't help at all; she was soaked through and her arms were sore. But, the gesture was completely out-of-character for Sasuke, and Sakura felt it had to be cherished even for a little bit. She could hate him tomorrow.

The two ran three blocks and up an amazingly slippery hill before reaching the house with the nameplate "Uchiha Fugaku".

She stood in the _genkan_ of the Uchiha household, slightly dazed and very wet. Sakura slid off her squishy shoes and placed them with the toes facing the door. Sasuke handed Sakura her book bag and walked ahead into the living room.

"You can come in." He called, seeming not to care if she got anything wet.

Sakura cautiously followed and took in the house, because it might be the last time she ever saw the inside. The walls were white and bare; there were no pictures hanging. The floor was hardwood and there was one long, rectangular rug that led to the staircase where Sasuke was in the closet underneath, busy digging for towels. She assumed the bedrooms were upstairs. A small kitchen was to her right, preceded by a small dining table. There were four chairs.

She observed the living room. There was one couch, one coffee table, one TV, one lamp, one loveseat, and a _butsudan_ on the opposite wall. Sakura saw the flowers and the incense first. And then the pictures.

Sakura put the bags down, and went over to inspect the altar. A hard-faced man and a pleasant woman, both with raven-blue hair and black eyes, stared at her through the glass. She read the names on the two _ihai_: Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto. And suddenly, the enigma that was Sasuke started to focus, and she felt she could almost understand him. Almost. She clapped her hands together and bowed before the altar, quietly paying her respects.

After she prayed her thanks, she saw Sasuke come out of the hallway. There wasn't a pause of discomfort even as he knew what she had been doing standing in front of the photos of his mother and father. He just came to her and tossed her a white, fluffy towel. "The bathroom's that door right there. Take as a long as you need."

"Th-thank you." She replied loudly and blushed. Partly because she had not expected herself to say anything, and partly because she felt like she had crossed a line, had discovered some lost and broken secret that had a meaning far beyond her understanding. Sakura looked Sasuke full in the face.

Sasuke said nothing. He just looked at her for a moment. Sakura could see some unrecognizable emotion move in his eyes, as if he were silently considering something. But she couldn't observe for long because he turned abruptly and headed upstairs.

"Thank you!" She called stupidly as she heard a door shut.

Sakura quickly headed for the bathroom, embarrassed. After closing the door and locking it, she gazed at herself in the mirror. And she blushed even more. She could see the faint outline of her bra through her soaking shirt. It was faint, but even she could make out the curves of the lace and how it shaped her chest. And if she could see it, Sasuke would've seen it as well. She exclaimed in disgust and frustration despite herself, and slapped her forehead.

There was knock. "Are you decent?" was Sasuke's muffled question.

Sakura straightened herself and swallowed. She wrapped the towel over her shoulders, making sure that her chest was covered. She opened the door, finding Sasuke's face right above her and extremely close. He had changed into a black t-shirt with cartoon aliens on the front and some gray sweat pants. Sakura knew her face must've been a mixture of shock and confusion, but Sasuke was impassable.

"Here," he said as he shoved some clothes at her face, intentionally pushing her back a little ways. "We don't have an extra robe, but I haven't worn these in years. They should fit you. Give me your clothes." He said it all very mechanically. He betrayed no emotion, just very limited politeness.

"Wait a sec." She closed the door and didn't even bother to lock it. She dumped the clothes he'd given her—a blue t-shirt and a pair of red gym shorts—and quickly stripped off everything. Although she worked fast, she was increasingly uncomfortable with the fact that Sasuke would be handling her under-things. Pushing those thoughts from her mind, Sakura folded the towel over her body and bundled up her wet clothing, making sure her bra and underwear were tucked deep into the middle.

With the door slightly ajar, she placed the bundle into Sasuke's hands without looking at him. They didn't say anything to each other even as she closed the door, locked it, and listened to the rain as it continued to overwhelm the city.

Sakura went into the washing area and let out a very troubled breath. She was determined not to use the shower pouf, thinking about how Sasuke used it to wash himself every night. She blushed profusely, feeling very exposed in his house, as if the walls had eyes.

"Don't be so _paranoid_," she muttered to herself. "It's just an ordinary bath in an ordinary house." She tried hard to reassure herself she had nothing to fret over. And, really. Why was she so anxious?

But, every minute that passed only increased her anxiety. Her nervousness turned to shame, and then, to frustration. Sakura scrubbed harder. She could not believe she was here—of all places—with him—of all people. He could've left her under the tarp in the storm. But, he didn't. Why? His behavior was very confusing, and almost infuriating, but it was nothing she could hate him for. And that scared her.

She feared how light-headed she became under his gaze, and how she had let him see her blush so many times in one afternoon. She feared the stupid and silly girl. She feared the burning wings inside.

She feared being vulnerable.

Sakura searched deep inside for some kind of hateful feeling to hold onto, something safe. But the more she tried and failed, the angrier she became. At herself and at him. She huffed and dried herself hastily.

Throwing down the towel, she stood naked in his bathroom without a care and fiercely grabbed the blue shirt that smelled familiar. Like the fabric softener she used at home. She couldn't call home, because no one would pick up! She couldn't take the bus without money. She couldn't walk with a storm raging and no idea where she was in the first place. She couldn't escape. She couldn't hate him.

Frowning, Sakura recounted all the stupid decisions she'd made that day, and wondered helplessly if she would still be in this situation if she had done anything different. Anything at all! When she couldn't soothe herself with what could've happened, she contented herself with blaming everything and anything that came to her mind.

_Stupid monsoon! Stupid cookies! Stupid baker! Stupid Ino! Stupid Hinata! Stupid Naruto! Stupid Kurenai-sensei! Stupid egg! Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

Thunder roared loudly above her and broke her from her blaming game. She cursed and let out a shaky breath. The last thing she wanted to be was in Sasuke's clothes without any kind of underwear, and then, in the same house as him. She swallowed and pulled the shirt over her head anyway. The clothes were too big for her, hanging loose and almost flattened against her much smaller frame. But her body disappeared into to the shirt, and she was grateful for that. Sakura didn't really believe that he hadn't worn them in years; they looked like he could've worn them last week.

She unlocked the door and pulled it open only to have Sasuke standing in the doorway with his hand poised to turn a doorknob. Sakura blinked and stared at him.

"I was wondering what you wanted to eat." He replied, stoic as ever.

Suddenly, she wanted to know. "Why did you help me?" She asked promptly.

"…What?"

"Why didn't you just leave me under the tarp?" She asked, annoyed that he didn't seem to be getting it.

Sasuke grimaced but said nothing. The rain hammered on the roof, wanting to be let in.

"You never had a problem leaving me behind before!" she raised her voice, recalling the day on the playground when he had stampeded over her sand castle on accident and never apologized; the day he had passed on his bike, splashing her with day-old rainwater without even looking back; the day he had left her standing with ink-stained fingers and no explanation.

Again, he said nothing, but his eyes darkened. Sakura's eyes were suddenly stinging, and she felt she was on the verge of humiliating herself even more. She rubbed her temples and turned her face away. Sakura didn't know why she was getting angry with him now—of all times! But she wanted to be angry. She wanted to hate him.

"Fine. Don't say anything," she muttered bitterly. "I…just don't care anymore." She heaved a tiresome sigh and slipped passed him.

He grabbed her arm.

"Where are you going?"

Sakura was about to say home. Instead, she said, "Anywhere! Anywhere but here."

Thunder cracked and the lights flickered.

"The storm—"

"I don't care!" Sakura pulled herself from his grasp and hurried toward the door.

"I can't let you—" He grabbed her shirt and pulled. Instead of her falling backward into his arms like he had predicted, her footing gave way underneath her and she began falling forward, pulling Sasuke with her. The thunder muffled the sound of their fall. He lay on top of her, slightly dazed, as she tried to scramble out from underneath him.

"Crazy girl! Would you hold still!" He grunted as he prevented her from crawling forward.

"I just want to get out of here!" She yelled. Sasuke grabbed hold of her flailing arm and spun her around to face him. She glared at him, flushed and eyes shining, and was surprised to see him weary rather than angry or impatient. But she didn't let it show.

Thunder rolled, rain pounded bluntly, and the lights flickered again as they just stared at each other, the other's breath hot on their faces.

The door opened suddenly, letting in the full sound of the storm raging outside. A young man of twenty emerged, clad in a gray raincoat and hat. As he dripped and closed the door behind him, he exclaimed, "Hey, Sasuke! Man, that storm was killer!"

The man looked up while saying something along the lines of, "I'm just glad I got off work so...ear...ly..." before spying his younger brother on top of a flushed, pink-haired girl who was wearing his younger brother's clothes.

The man's face split into a wolfish grin as he stared. Sasuke frowned just as hard, his face a shade of deep red.

-

Dear Reader,

I apologize for the crappy ending. But, I'm really excited about how the story is progressing! I feel I'm going to have a lot of fun with Itachi in the next chapter. I think he'd have been an awesome big brother if he were still around. So, look forward to that. Thanks for the reviews and the favorites. You guys are roxsome!

Constructive criticism is always appreciated.

Sincerely, Thely

A _genkan_ is the entryway of a Japanese household. People remove their shoes in the _genkan_ to prevent dirt from getting into the house.

A _butsudan_, as far as I've gathered, is a shrine to Buddha, and is common in India, China, Korea, and Japan. Japanese people also use it to honor their ancestors. The way the _butsudan_ is set up varies with the family.

An _ihai_ is a spirit tablet used by the Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans. An _ihai_ can be found in temples or at funerals, and also in the home. They are used to attract spirits, _kami_, or ancestors.

If any of this information is wrong, please let me know. My knowledge on Japanese culture is limited. (:P)

(Updated 03-22-10: I apologize for being an idiot and not realizing that the kind of house Sasuke and Itachi live in has TWO stories. I also added some more detail here and there. Thanks so much for the encouragement; you guys don't even know how sweet it is (:D))


	5. UPDATEAPOLOGY

UPDATE:

Dear Readers,

I am not dead, but I am very grateful and very sorry about my lack of updates. Thank you so much for your support and I totally apologize for being lazy and an idiot. But, this story will be continued definitely. I would really like to see an end to this story, but I just haven't found the right way to go about it. I lost all that I had been working on previously through my own stupidity and that is why I first put off updating my story.

And after a while, I just lost all that had been circulating in my head around this story and I lost a little passion for writing in general. But, after rereading the material, I feel like picking it up again. I will probably be rewriting all of the chapters, some details will remain, others will be expanded upon, and the rest will be deleted completely. I really hope I will finish this story (and hopefully, I'll even draw some art about it to show you guys!) Thanks again for your support and patience.

XOXO, Thely

P.S. I apologize for my lame apology.


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